Has anybody that is doing Amazon FBA been asked for Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for an item they bought at a retail store? I ask because that is the pickle I'm in and need to find a way to provide this so that I can ship these two items (not hazardous) to Amazon. Any help is appreciated.

I've contacted the manufacturer on multiple occasions and received a SDS from them. I never get any questions as to why I'm asking.

Sometimes it doesn't work out, say if the SDS is old, Amazon won't accept it. But it's worth a shot.

I'm winding down my Amazon FBA side hustle as I don't really have even the minimal time it takes. Two jobs and five kids doesn't leave much room for starting and running a business.

However, I'm going to provide a decent opportunity for retail/online arbitrage for anyone who wants to jump on it. If you take advantage of this I ask that you use the referral link in my signature and get yourself a free share of stock (as well as a free share for me) by signing up for the Robinhood app. Obviously if multiple people take advantage of this at the same time the arbitrage opportunity will eventually go away but for someone who's looking to move up from one-off clearance items this is a decent example of what's out there.

I found a brand of shampoo and conditioner that is selling alright on Amazon, BRÖÖ. They have four different varieties of shampoo and conditioner (plus some other related beauty products). The sets of these have sales ranks averaging around 60,000 to 100,000 which translate to monthly sales of 15-30 per month or so. A couple of these are carried at Walmart's and sell for around $6-7 per bottle. I had been selling all four as bundles and doing pretty well for a few months but I had a bunch of issues because I did not include a label/sticker marking them "sold as set". Because of this, when I sent a large shipment in to the Baltimore warehouse they opened up the poly bags I had packaged them in and 10+ orders were fulfilled with just a single shampoor or conditioner instead of the set. Amazon reimbursed me for some but still, I messed up by not including that label and had to spend a lot of time getting negative feedback removed and responding to complaints.

Since then the most popular variety has seen a bunch of other sellers jump on the listing and the price has been driven down to breakeven. However, one of the varities is still selling about 20 units per month at around $30 with just a couple of other sellers - none of whom have more than a handful of units in stock.

The price drops to $6.29 each if you order a dozen or more. They offer $5 off on your first order with coupon code APPS2018. They are also offering a coupon code for 11% off for the next couple of days (referral link) https://www.iherb.com/?pcode=WCELEVEN&rcode=AHP8153

So if you were to order a dozen of each with that 11% off and free shipping your cost would be a little more than $11 per bundle. You will also need poly bags to put the shampoo and conditioner in (plus the sold as set label/sticker). I purchased this set https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Poly-Combo-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B01DLIRW8K and the smallest 6"x9" bags worked fine https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Poly-Combo-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B01ESFYDSC?th=1 You will also need to print labels to put over the UPC barcodes and I would recommend a single label on one barcode with your FNSKU and a second blank label over the other barcode. I think because I put FNSKU barcodes on each in one shipment it caused the warehouse workers to treat it as two items instead of one.

So with labels and poly bags being only pennies each your cost of goods sold will be less than $12. If you ship this into Amazon FBA your inbound shipping will probably be around $0.50 per unit bringing your total COGS to about $12. The fulfillment costs at a price point of $30 are a bit more than $9. So, if you can sell this bundle for $30 with a total cost of about $21-22 your profit is about $8-9. As I said, this particular variety is selling about 20 units per month according to keepa.com which means a potential profit of $170 a month give or take.

I'm winding down my Amazon FBA side hustle as I don't really have even the minimal time it takes. Two jobs and five kids doesn't leave much room for starting and running a business.

However, I'm going to provide a decent opportunity for retail/online arbitrage for anyone who wants to jump on it. If you take advantage of this I ask that you use the referral link in my signature and get yourself a free share of stock (as well as a free share for me) by signing up for the Robinhood app. Obviously if multiple people take advantage of this at the same time the arbitrage opportunity will eventually go away but for someone who's looking to move up from one-off clearance items this is a decent example of what's out there.

I found a brand of shampoo and conditioner that is selling alright on Amazon, BRÖÖ. They have four different varieties of shampoo and conditioner (plus some other related beauty products). The sets of these have sales ranks averaging around 60,000 to 100,000 which translate to monthly sales of 15-30 per month or so. A couple of these are carried at Walmart's and sell for around $6-7 per bottle. I had been selling all four as bundles and doing pretty well for a few months but I had a bunch of issues because I did not include a label/sticker marking them "sold as set". Because of this, when I sent a large shipment in to the Baltimore warehouse they opened up the poly bags I had packaged them in and 10+ orders were fulfilled with just a single shampoor or conditioner instead of the set. Amazon reimbursed me for some but still, I messed up by not including that label and had to spend a lot of time getting negative feedback removed and responding to complaints.

Since then the most popular variety has seen a bunch of other sellers jump on the listing and the price has been driven down to breakeven. However, one of the varities is still selling about 20 units per month at around $30 with just a couple of other sellers - none of whom have more than a handful of units in stock.

The price drops to $6.29 each if you order a dozen or more. They offer $5 off on your first order with coupon code APPS2018. They are also offering a coupon code for 11% off for the next couple of days (referral link) https://www.iherb.com/?pcode=WCELEVEN&rcode=AHP8153

So if you were to order a dozen of each with that 11% off and free shipping your cost would be a little more than $11 per bundle. You will also need poly bags to put the shampoo and conditioner in (plus the sold as set label/sticker). I purchased this set https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Poly-Combo-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B01DLIRW8K and the smallest 6"x9" bags worked fine https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Poly-Combo-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B01ESFYDSC?th=1 You will also need to print labels to put over the UPC barcodes and I would recommend a single label on one barcode with your FNSKU and a second blank label over the other barcode. I think because I put FNSKU barcodes on each in one shipment it caused the warehouse workers to treat it as two items instead of one.

So with labels and poly bags being only pennies each your cost of goods sold will be less than $12. If you ship this into Amazon FBA your inbound shipping will probably be around $0.50 per unit bringing your total COGS to about $12. The fulfillment costs at a price point of $30 are a bit more than $9. So, if you can sell this bundle for $30 with a total cost of about $21-22 your profit is about $8-9. As I said, this particular variety is selling about 20 units per month according to keepa.com which means a potential profit of $170 a month give or take.

Can items bought at Walmart for RA be listed as new? I've seen conflicting answers on this. It seems people list these as new all the time. Also if you had to list as used it seems it wouldn't be profitable at that point.

Can items bought at Walmart for RA be listed as new? I've seen conflicting answers on this. It seems people list these as new all the time. Also if you had to list as used it seems it wouldn't be profitable at that point.

No, you can not. Amazon restricts who can list an item as "New". You need to be an authorized reseller becasue you're unable to transfer the manufacturer's warranty to customers.If you want play by the rules lists those items as "Like-New".

Can items bought at Walmart for RA be listed as new? I've seen conflicting answers on this. It seems people list these as new all the time. Also if you had to list as used it seems it wouldn't be profitable at that point.

I've listed such items as new. At a certain point though you will probably run into some issues. Frankly RA is a good way to get your feet wet but I think for the long-term its not sustainable. You could get complaints for "used sold as new". Now if it's something that's in perfect condition from a store shelf you'll probably be ok. If it's a clearance items where the packaging is even slightly damaged you are probably better off marking it as like new or trying to sell it on eBay. Amazon buyers expect new products to be in perfect condition. eBay buyers are generally less discerning. If it's anything where a warranty would matter (i.e. electronics) then that's where you're taking greater risk. If it's something where a warranty doesn't exist or is essentially meaningless (i.e. cheap consumer product) then I doubt that issue will ever come up.

The only time I care about not setting an item as new is when Amazon restricts me from doing it (as in a bunch of Roku Premier's I found on clearance at WalMart), the item is obviously not new, or I can't provide an itemized receipt for the purchase. Some liquidation stores don't put the detail on the receipt, so if you ever get claim that the item is inauthentic, you can't provide proof that you purchased it legitimately.

For the Roku Premier, I sold those things 'like new' for a few bucks less than 'new' and they flew off the shelf.

The only time I care about not setting an item as new is when Amazon restricts me from doing it (as in a bunch of Roku Premier's I found on clearance at WalMart), the item is obviously not new, or I can't provide an itemized receipt for the purchase. Some liquidation stores don't put the detail on the receipt, so if you ever get claim that the item is inauthentic, you can't provide proof that you purchased it legitimately.

For the Roku Premier, I sold those things 'like new' for a few bucks less than 'new' and they flew off the shelf.

This is a good suggestion to get around restricted items in New condition to sell as like new if still profitable. Like others, if the seller app says New is restricted i wont sell it. If it says I can sell the item in New condition then that is what i do.

Amazon recently announced some changes to their longterm storage fee (LTSF) structure which makes FBA much less appealing if you are selling slow-moving items.

From Amazon -- "Minimum Long-Term Storage Fees: On August 15, 2018, we will introduce a minimum charge of $0.50 per unit per month for items in fulfillment centers for 365 days or more."

Previously they charged LTSF twice a year -- Feb 15th and Aug 15th. Now they are charging LTSFs 12 times a year, on the 15th of each month.

As an example, say you have 200 items that are subject to the LTSF, that means a MINIMUM fee of $100 a month until those items sell. It's a huge fee increase from their previous structure. I predict prices will drop a lot for some items as sellers rush to unload inventory that is suddenly a much bigger liability in the form of monthly LTSF.

Amazon recently announced some changes to their longterm storage fee (LTSF) structure which makes FBA much less appealing if you are selling slow-moving items.

From Amazon -- "Minimum Long-Term Storage Fees: On August 15, 2018, we will introduce a minimum charge of $0.50 per unit per month for items in fulfillment centers for 365 days or more."

Previously they charged LTSF twice a year -- Feb 15th and Aug 15th. Now they are charging LTSFs 12 times a year, on the 15th of each month.

As an example, say you have 200 items that are subject to the LTSF, that means a MINIMUM fee of $100 a month until those items sell. It's a huge fee increase from their previous structure. I predict prices will drop a lot for some items as sellers rush to unload inventory that is suddenly a much bigger liability in the form of monthly LTSF.

I'm winding down my Amazon FBA side hustle as I don't really have even the minimal time it takes. Two jobs and five kids doesn't leave much room for starting and running a business.

However, I'm going to provide a decent opportunity for retail/online arbitrage for anyone who wants to jump on it. If you take advantage of this I ask that you use the referral link in my signature and get yourself a free share of stock (as well as a free share for me) by signing up for the Robinhood app. Obviously if multiple people take advantage of this at the same time the arbitrage opportunity will eventually go away but for someone who's looking to move up from one-off clearance items this is a decent example of what's out there.

I found a brand of shampoo and conditioner that is selling alright on Amazon, BRÖÖ. They have four different varieties of shampoo and conditioner (plus some other related beauty products). The sets of these have sales ranks averaging around 60,000 to 100,000 which translate to monthly sales of 15-30 per month or so. A couple of these are carried at Walmart's and sell for around $6-7 per bottle. I had been selling all four as bundles and doing pretty well for a few months but I had a bunch of issues because I did not include a label/sticker marking them "sold as set". Because of this, when I sent a large shipment in to the Baltimore warehouse they opened up the poly bags I had packaged them in and 10+ orders were fulfilled with just a single shampoor or conditioner instead of the set. Amazon reimbursed me for some but still, I messed up by not including that label and had to spend a lot of time getting negative feedback removed and responding to complaints.

Since then the most popular variety has seen a bunch of other sellers jump on the listing and the price has been driven down to breakeven. However, one of the varities is still selling about 20 units per month at around $30 with just a couple of other sellers - none of whom have more than a handful of units in stock.

The price drops to $6.29 each if you order a dozen or more. They offer $5 off on your first order with coupon code APPS2018. They are also offering a coupon code for 11% off for the next couple of days (referral link) https://www.iherb.com/?pcode=WCELEVEN&rcode=AHP8153

So if you were to order a dozen of each with that 11% off and free shipping your cost would be a little more than $11 per bundle. You will also need poly bags to put the shampoo and conditioner in (plus the sold as set label/sticker). I purchased this set https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Poly-Combo-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B01DLIRW8K and the smallest 6"x9" bags worked fine https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Poly-Combo-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B01ESFYDSC?th=1 You will also need to print labels to put over the UPC barcodes and I would recommend a single label on one barcode with your FNSKU and a second blank label over the other barcode. I think because I put FNSKU barcodes on each in one shipment it caused the warehouse workers to treat it as two items instead of one.

So with labels and poly bags being only pennies each your cost of goods sold will be less than $12. If you ship this into Amazon FBA your inbound shipping will probably be around $0.50 per unit bringing your total COGS to about $12. The fulfillment costs at a price point of $30 are a bit more than $9. So, if you can sell this bundle for $30 with a total cost of about $21-22 your profit is about $8-9. As I said, this particular variety is selling about 20 units per month according to keepa.com which means a potential profit of $170 a month give or take.

Good luck.

FYI, the price on this is $21.99 now...such is the risk of selling on Amazon. It's now a losing opportunity if you're buying from iHerb.

Is this still a profitable venture for most? I did significant research about 6 months ago and never pulled the trigger on FBA. I half-ass tried and listed stuff around the house for FBM, but didn't get any sales so I took all the stuff off, or at least I thought. It turns out my items were never removed and I got an email last week saying I sold a textbook. Luckily I was able to find the box I stuffed it in during the move and shipped it out. I'm now intrigued to make the jump this time into FBA as I have a bit more free time for the next few months. Curious to know if this is still viable for the little guy without experience.

For most? Probably not. But if you have a product(s) that either 1) you have access to which is otherwise difficult to procure or 2) you get a better price that your competitors, then, yes, Amazon is still a great market. Fees are high and continue to rise so making sure you have an excellent margin is necessary.

I've never found online or in store retail arbitrage to be worthwhile (for me). It's always been products that came up in unrelated conversations mostly in niches. "It's such a shame that such and such isn't made anymore. That easy to replicate dodad was awesome!" "Why is popular niche $30 item only sold on third party's ugly website with $25 UPS shipping? I wish I could just buy it on Amazon."

Is this still a profitable venture for most? I did significant research about 6 months ago and never pulled the trigger on FBA. I half-ass tried and listed stuff around the house for FBM, but didn't get any sales so I took all the stuff off, or at least I thought. It turns out my items were never removed and I got an email last week saying I sold a textbook. Luckily I was able to find the box I stuffed it in during the move and shipped it out. I'm now intrigued to make the jump this time into FBA as I have a bit more free time for the next few months. Curious to know if this is still viable for the little guy without experience.

Not recommended at this time, especially FBA. Some states have started to claim that having inventory at a FBA warehouse in another state constitutes "nexus" and means you are responsible for collecting/remitting sales tax in states where your FBA inventory is stored. It's a mess. This is changing somewhat with marketplace facilitator laws which require marketplaces like amazon/ebay/walmart/etc to do the collection and remittance of sales tax for third-party sellers. So far I believe there are eight states where amazon is doing it, and I expect this number to increase greatly over the next year, but until the dust settles I would absolutely NOT recommend FBA. Also, in general amazon is increasingly plagued by review manipulation, search ranking manipulation, and other issues. Unless you have a niche product to sell, it's increasingly a losers game.